Swarthmore College - Halcyon Yearbook (Swarthmore, PA)

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will be observed that nearly all of the students are pursuing one of the regular courses provided, and this is desirable ; both for the interests of the College, and of the individual students, who almost invariably make more satisfactory progress when pursuing a regular course, even for a short time, without any idea of graduation, than when they select all their studies for themselves. Of course the Elective is so far combined with the Regular system that the Electives increase as the students advance in their course, and in the Junior and Senior classes the studies are largely elective. Upon the same principle, the Electives are very few in the Preparatory school, and students in that school are expected to pursue the regular work of the classes in which they are placed, . . . It is a serious error to suppose that the pursuit of a select course is adapted to immature minds that espe- cially need the advantages of systematic training in a well-arranged course of study. The increasing number of students, and the limited capacity of the College turned the attention of the Managers at this time toward the erec- tion of separate homes for the professors upon the College grounds. But some time elapsed before taking a step in this direction by erecting a house near the west end of the College for the President and his family. The way has not even yet seemed open to taking further steps, although to some minds it still seems feasible, and exceedingly desirable. The satisfactory experience of Cornell University in this respect would seem to be an exam- ple well worthy of imitation. During this fifth year, the first after the College had reached the period of graduating its first class, irregularities of discipline and of management, almost necessarily attendant upon the founding of a new institution, began to disappear, upon which point the Managers say in their report for this year : While the intellectual training of the students has been a subject of anx- ious care, and their physical well-being secured by regular and appropriate exercise, their moral and spiritual welfare has been sedulously guarded, and, as a tangible result, the discipline of the institution was never in a more satisfactory condition. The students are daily learning the great lesson that those are best governed who are taught to be a law unto themselves. 12

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Swarthmore College. its origin, and some notes upon its early history. By Edward H. Magill. CHAPTER in. T the opening of the fifth year of the College, in the autumn of 1873, four of the six members of the first graduating class re- turned as resident graduates. Of these, L. Maria C. Pierce, A. B., was appointed Assistant Instructor in German and in English Branches; Elizabeth C. Miller, A. B., Assistant Instructor in French and in English Branches, and Esther T. Moore, A. B., Assistant Instructor in Mathematics; while Helen Magill, A. B., pursued her studies toward a second degree. The Faculty of seven continued the same as the previous year. The whole number of officers of government and instruction now reached 26, and the whole number of students 269, of whom 93 were members of the college classes, the rest being members of the Preparatory school. It will be observed that there continued to be a steady increase in the number of college students in proportion to those in the Preparatory school. The development of the college proper, until it could take full rank with its sister colleges much longer established, continued to be kept steadily in view. To this end the pursuit of one of the three regular courses of study now provided, the classical, the scientific, and the engineering course, was constantly encouraged, with a result that about 87 per cent, of the college students were following one of these three courses, the rest, through various causes, being classed as irregular. The views of the Man- agers upon this subject are thus expressed in their report for this year : It II

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... The principles of our religious society are taught in that most effec- tive of all ways, the lessons of daily life and example, while spoken words, in season, are not neglected. The Managers feel deeply impressed with the conviction that they would be reporting but a part, and that the least im- portant part of the work which is being accomplished at Swarthmore, were no allusion made to the religious training which the students here receive. It is believed that the more than two decades of experience which have elapsed since these words were uttered have confirmed the judgment of the Managers then expressed. At the close of this year seven students were graduated, five in the classical and two in the scientific course. We now come to consider the sixth year of the College (1874-5), which opened with the same seven members of the Faculty as the preced- ing, strengthened by the well-deserved appointment of Susan J. Cunning- ham, now appointed full Professor of Mathematics, and to a seat in the Faculty of Government. Although without the title, she had practically performed the duties of Professor of Mathematics since the opening of the College in 1869. Of the four resident graduates of the preceding year, three continued to occupy the same position as instructors the present year, and Helen Magill, A. B., was appointed President ' s Secretary and Instruc- tor in Gymnastics. A few other changes were made in the Department of Instruction, but to refer to each by name would transcend the limits of this chapter. The appointment at this time of Dr. Joseph Thomas, LL. D., as non- resident Professor of English Literature, whose lectures were so highly enjoyed, and whose scholarly influence in the College was so profoundly felt for a number of years, must not be passed over in silence. I am sure that the Alumni and ex-students of those earlier years would never pardon the omission if I should not give him, even in this hasty and imperfect sketch, a passing word. Long shall we all remember his kindly, genial smile, his encouraging words, his striking maxims, and that fullness of his subject and familiarity with it which reminded one constantly of his oft- repeated words, r embarrars de richesses, and of which he was himself so conspicuous an example. Peace to his ashes ! The good old man ! 13